Pinoy doctor arrested for prescription drug bust in New York

ABS-CBN News

Authorities arrested 9 medical professionals, including a Filipino doctor, in a major drug bust in New York on Thursday, US police said.

He was identified as Dr. Dante Cubangbang, 50, of Franklin Square who operates a medical clinic in Queens.

The suspects are accused of collecting millions of dollars for prescribing millions of oxycodone pills.

According to the allegations in the indictment, Cubangbang and nurse practitioner John Gargan prescribed more than 6 million oxycodone pills to individuals they knew did not need the medication for any legitimate medical reason.

They allegedly prescribed more than twice as many oxycodone pills that were paid for by Medicare and Medicaid than the next highest prescriber in New York state.

Officials say they doled out these prescriptions during office visits that lasted no more than a few minutes and involved little to no physical examination.

Together with two others who worked in the clinic and recruited patients, they allegedly collected more than $5 million in all-cash office visit fees, which they laundered and divided.

Cubangbang, Gargan, Michael Kellerman, and Loren Piquant are charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Cubangbang, Gargan and Kellerman are also charged with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.